Machine for filling machines in boxes



Aug. 10, 1965 A.w.D|E1'MANN MACHINE FOR FILLING MATCHES IN BOXES F11-ed July 1o, 1962 1| 2 5 4| 8 d 13 Uf /2 P). 2

.14 3 B 8 g :I 9 F 11.(1... 2 6\/|\l+ 0 2 2 Unted States Patent Oli ice .i oriented lastig,

The present invention relates to a machine for feeding matches or similar rod-shaped objects into boxes having rectangular bottoms, which matches are supplied with an orientation which is transverse to the longitudinal direction of the boxes, comprising a conveying path for feeding empty boxes to a filling device and a conveying path for feeding outlilled boxes from said filling device. When filling boxes in this manner it has been found that the matches have a tendency to turn out ot the intended direction which is transverse to the longitudinal direction of the box because the matches are not guided by the Walls oi the box in the same manner as when lilling the matches in the usual Way, Le. when lling the matches orientated in parallel with the longitudinal direction ot the box. The fact that the heads of the matches are all directed in the same direction is attended by the fact that the upper layers of the matches are sloping which increases the tendency of the matches to turn out of the intended position.

According to the invention filling of the boxes in the intended manner is realized by arranging a further conveying path between the conveying path feeding out filled boxes and the conveying path supplying empty boxes, said further conveying path being locked in synchronism and in proper relationship with the iced in feed out conveying paths and designed to discharge in all the empty boxes a guide member' which placed in a box comprises a number of Walls orientated transversely to the longitudinal direction of the box and having their upper portions secured to a rectangular frame provided with flanges proiecting out of the walls of the box, said {ortis-er coriveying path being designed to litt the guide members from the filled boxes and after transfer to the feed in conveying path to discharge the guide members again into empty boxes, which guide members are lifted and conveyed hanging in the flanges of the frame by means of said further conveying path. Thus a box is partitioned by the walls of a guide member into which partitions the matches are fed guided by the Walls which prevent the matches being turned out of the intended position. The guide members also enable filling of the boxes in two or more steps, and accordingly it is possible to discharge two consecutive batches of matches into the boxes, which batches have the heads of the matches directed in opposite directions. After tilting of the boxes the guide meinbers are lifted from tbe boxes and are again fed to the empty boxes by means of the further conveying path, which may be designed in various Ways Within the scope of the invention. Suitably it may consist or `two iixedly mounted slide bars connecting the two box conveyors and sloping down to these, which slide bars are so arranged that the side iianges of a guide member present in a lilled box are enabled to engage the sloping slide bars and slide up on these when the lled box is fed out, and simultaneously an impeller fin-0er mounted on an endless belt is arranged to engage and push up the guide member along the slide bars so that the bottom edges of the Walls of the guide member are lifted above the upper edges of the box and then the guide member' is transferred to the feed in conveying path and is pushed down the slide bars and placed in an empty box. @ne of the slide bars may also be replaced, wholly or partially, by the iinpeller lingers being designed to be inserted under this side of the llanges oi' the guide meL .bers to support this side of the guide members.

The invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing in which FIGURE l is a diagrammatic plan view ofthe machine,

FGURE 2 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the conveying path connecting the feed out conveying path with the feed in conveying path, and

FIGURE 3 is ya sectional side elevation illustrating the transfer ot the guide members to the further conveying path from the feed out conveying path.

The machine shown in the drawing is provi-ded with a feed in conveyor consisting of an endless chain l supported by wheels, not shown, and the chain is provided with impeller members 2 between which boxes 3 are placed. Further there is a feed out conveyor likewise consisting or an endless chain d provided with impelier members d. The feed in and feed out conveyors l, 2 and 6l, 5 are synchronized and are driven step-by-step by inea-ns of a drive motor, not shown. Above the feed in .conveyor l, 2 there is `a filling device o by means of which a first filling of the boxes with matches is eiiected, and above the feed out conveyor ll, S there is a second filling device 7 by means of which supplemental filling of the boxes is effected. Suitably the filling devices are adapted to discharge the two portions of the matches so that the heads of the matches in the two portions are directed in opposite directions. The boxes .are transferred from the feed in conveyor to the leed out conveyor by means of a transier rn, not sh svn, in the time intervals between the fillings. A further conveyor for the transfer orp guide members from the feed out conveyor 5 to the feed in conveyor il, 2 is driven in synchro-msm with these conveyors and is shown more detailed in FGURE 2. An steel band 9 is supported by two wheels l@ and lt, one of which l@ cio-operates with the upper half of the band and the other il with the lower halt of the band. wheels are mounted on turning shafts l2 and i3 which are journaled out of the perpendicular so that the band 9 has imparted to it .a suitable inclination in relation to the longitudinal directions of the conveyors l, and ffl, 5. lmpeller members are arranged equally spaced along the circumference or" the band 9 on both sides of the band, two by two ioined by means ot screws extending through the band. The inside impeller members itl are adapted to co-openate with recesses (not shown) along the circumferences of Ithe Wheels l@ and il, and the outside ini eller members or fingers l5 are .adapted to ceoocrate with the guide members. Further there is a lixedly mounted slide bar lo extending in parallel with the linear and the upper semi-circular portions of the band Q. rhe path of movement of the impeller fingers l5 and the slide bar lo are mutually :situated so that the guide mein bers i7 are supported bythe impeller fingers 4and the slide bar, the slide bar lo (shown as a double dotted line in FiGURE 3) col-operating with the under-surfaces of ilanges r9 projecting along the longitudinal sides of the guide members. The impeller fingers l5 inserted a short distance between the ends of the guide members cooperate With the under-surface 2li) of the flanges 2l projecting out of the end Walls of the guide members the central portions of which flanges vare supported by the upper surfaces oi the impeller members 2. and 5 when the guide members are advanced on the conveyors l, 2 and lll, 5.

FEGURE 3 illustrates the lifting operation of a guide member lil' from a box 3. The guide member consists or" an open frame formed by the two longitudinal flanges lil and the two transverse flanges 2l which latter have undercut ends and are joined with the end Walls 3i?, of the guide members. The partition Walls 23 are secured to the intance whereas the rear portion is still supported by the Y upper surface of the impeller member 5.

At a further advance of the boxes the guide member 17 is entirely lifted from the box 3 the guide member being advanced in synchronism with the box along a straight portion of the transfer conveyor S located straight above the feed out conveyor 4, 5. The guide member 17 is then transferred along the semicircular portion of the conveying path to a straight portion of the path above the feed in conveyor 1, 2, where the guide member is fed down in an empty box in a manner analogous to that described above in connection with the lifting of the guide member. Y

The invention is not limited to the embodiment described above, but numerous modifications may be made in the construction. The feed in and feed out conveyors may, for example, be situated in line with each other and consist of a single endless belt in which case the guide members after filling of the boxes are to be fed back from the feed out path to the feed in path. Further numerous changes may be made in the construction of the conveyors and the impeller members.

What l claim is:

1. A machine for feeding matches or similar rod-shaped lobjects into boxes having rectangular bottoms transversely to the longitudinal direction of said boxes, comprising `a first conveyor for feeding empty boxes to a box filling device, a second conveyor for feeding filled boxes from said filling device, a third conveyor arranged between said first and second conveyors, said third conveyor being locked in synchronism and in proper relationship With said first and second conveyors to discharge in all said empty boxes, a guide member which when placed in a box comprises a number of walls orientated transversely to the longitudinal direction of the box and having their upper portions secured to a rectangular frame provided with flanges projecting out of the walls of the box, means upon said third conveyor for lifting a guide member by said franges from Va filled box, conveying it to said first conveyor and discharging it into an empty box, said third d conveyor comprising an endless belt having impeller iingers to be inserted between said guide members and to engage said tianges on one side of said guide members and a iixedly mounted slide bar cooperating with said flanges on the other side of said guide members.

2. A machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein said endless belt comprises a steel band, two wheels having recesses supporting said band along the peripheries thereof, Virnpeller members mounted two by two on both sides of said band and mutuallyV joined lwith each other, said impeller members on fthe outside of said band cooperating with the guide membersandthose on the inside of said band'cooperating with said recesses of the two wheels.

3. A machine for feeding matches or similar rod-shaped objects into boxes having rectangular bottoms transversely to the longitudinal direction `of said boxes, comprising `a first conveyor for feeding empty boxes toa box filling device, a lsecond conveyor for feeding filled boxes from said filling device, a third conveyor arranged between said first and second conveyors, said third conveyor being locked in synchronisrn and in proper relationship with said first and second conveyors to discharge in all said empty boxes, a guide member which when placed in a box comprises a number of walls orientated transversely to the longitudinal direction of thejbox and having their upper portions secured to a rectangular frame provided with fianges projecting out of the walls of the box, means upon said third conveyor for lifting a guide member by said flanges from a filled box, conveying it to said first conveyor and discharging it into an empty box, said first and second conveyors being located beside each other `and having opposed feeding directions, said third conveyor being located in an inclined plane and provided with two linear portions above the paths of the filled and empty boxes, respectively, connected by an upper semicircular portion, the angle of inclination and the length of said linear portions being dimensioned to transfer said guide members from said second conveyor to said third conveyor and from thence to said first conveyor.

References Cited bythe Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 538,535 4/95 Palmer et al 53-263 X 686,042 11/01 Eisenhart 53-263 X GRANVLLE Y. CUSTER, IR., Primary Examiner.

ROBERTA. LEIGHEY, FRANK E. BAILEY,

Examiners. 

1. A MACHINE FOR FEEDING MATCHES OR SIMILAR ROD-SHAPED OBJECTS INTO BOXES HAVING RECTANGULAR BOTTOMS TRANSVERSELY TO THE LONGITUDINAL DIRECTION OF SAID BOXES, COMPRISING A FIRST CONVEYOR FOR FEEDING EMPTY BOXES TO A BOX FILLING DEVICE, A SECOND CONVEYOR FOR FEEDING FILLED BOXES FROM SAID FILLING DEVICE, A THIRD CONVEYOR ARRANGED BETWEEN SAID FIRST AND SECOND CONVEYORS, SAID THIRD CONVEYOR BEING LOCKED IN SYNCHRONISM AND IN PROPER RELATIONSHIP WITH SAID FIRST AND SECOND CONVEYORS TO DISCHARGE IN ALL SAID EMPTY BOXES, A GUIDE MEMBER WHICH WHEN PLACED IN A BOX COMPRISES A NUMBER OF WALLS ORIENTATED TRANSVERSELY TO THE LONGITUDINAL DIRECTION OF THE BOX AND HAVING THEIR UPPER PORTIONS SECURED TO A RECTANGULAR FRAME PROVIDED WITH FLANGES PROJECTING OUT OF THE WALLS OF THE BOX, MEANS UPON SAID THIRD CONVEYOR FOR LIFTING A GUIDE MEMBER BY SAID FLANGES FROM A FILLEX BOX, CONVEYING IT TO SAID FIRST CONVEYOR AND DISCHARGING IT INTO AN EMPTY BOX, SAID THIRD CONVEYOR COMPRISING ASN ENDLESS BELT HAVING IMPELLER FINGERS TO BE INSERTED BETWEEN SAID GUIDE MEMBERS AND TO ENGAGE SAID FLANGES ON ONE SIDE OF SAID GUIDE MEMBERS AND A FIXEDLY MOUNTED SLIDE BAR COOPERATING WITH SAID FLANGES ON THE OTHER SIDE OF SAID GUIDE MEMBERS. 